The Fun in Ticking Zuko Off
by Jesus.Lives
Summary: Set after fic TRAITORS & ENEMIES. See my profile.Toko, Zutara, Kataang
1. Sparring

**I'm not a Zuko/Toph shipper -but if there's anyone for Zuko... maybe- but they're so similar! and here's another of my "possible far future episode things".**

**It's obvious by Zuko's training by Iroh he'll be the one to teach Aang firebending. How else is he going to avenge his father?**

**Should I continue? Hit the review button with a yes or no.**

_**Do I have to say it? I don't own Avatar. (aw, don't rub it in)**_

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Zuko wasn't impressed with being the Avatar's oldest instructor but after his father had Iroh killed, he had to do something and this was the only way. After that day he'd finally have to be humble enough to accept that he could not beat his father alone, nor could he allow his sister to inherit the throne.

He wasn't impressed with the company either... and although the young blind girl reminded him of himself - in that she never had it easy either... not like his scrawny prodigy... he could hardly say the stubborn earth bender was good company.

"You let twinkle toes take a break?" She said, screwing up her nose and facing him.

"I wanted a break" he said, half challenging and turned his face away walking towards the cliffside.

"Well he has two weeks left. You don't deserve a break" the corner of her lip went up in a smile as she felt him halt under the soles of her callused feet.

"You don't know what I deserve" snarled the disowned prince as he gazed out in the horizon, having no where left to stomp away.

The girl didn't stop. "No, I do." She sent a large wave of dirt under his feet, he felt himself lifted by the mound. Not enough to do anything but to make her point.

She came from a rich family as well.

This time it was his turn to spin on his heel and face her.

Clenching his fists, he squinted up his eyes at her in pain of what he just went through.

His uncle.

His mother.

Losing everyone who he ever cared about. All at the hands of the father who sent him away to live in shame.

"You don't know me" He uttered, every word caressed with spite.

"And you don't know me" she said "so that makes us even."

She hit the ground with her left foot this time and brought the mound he was standing on up a little higher.

He grit his teeth in anger and charged, sending fire shooting out at her barely missing her face, as she ducked away.

Katara and Aang, coming back over the mountain stood with shocked faces at the battle.

Aangs face tightened up, this time as a stubborn earthbender himself. He threw down a foot and watched the earth crack from under them.

They both jumped away. Toph a little red in the face. Zuko hiding his.

Aang looked at both of them ready to give them a serve before Katara did, but someone else spoke first.

"What's the matter Zu-zu? Giving up, seeing as how you're regularly outmatched by girls."

A cheap shot.

And Toph found herself in a circle of angry flames, feeling the heat on her face, fueled more at the anger and impaitence she had looking for a fight.


	2. Touching

_**Wow. Pretty reviews.**_

_**OK. Let me know if you want me to continue**_

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He put down the fire walls and stalked away motioning Aang to follow him to do some more training. Aang shrugged to Katara and Toph and ran off after the angry teen.

"So are you going to teach me how to shoot electricity yet?"

Zuko grimaced but didn't say anything, just kept walking ahead. He'd only learnt that move himself just before Iroh died.

...and this wasn't the day to remind him of family memories.

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Later on, Toph found him. Watching out of the cliff beside the mound of dirt she'd moved earlier. She didn't see him there, and he didn't make a sound but she could sense his breathing.

Not calm, happy breathing like the rest of the gang - but like he was conquering a war with every in and out motion. Like he was struggling but only because he didn't want to let the air get the better of him.

Ironic considering the guarded way that he trained Aang.

"I met your uncle... before when your sister got away from us."

It was months ago now, Zuko remembered. She must have heard the nickname from Aang. He heard it. Back then it didn't matter though. He hadn't been so stuck to join the team of exiles, with his fleet and uncle still on his side.

"That's nice"

He wasn't going to say anything. But he did. Two words - coated with 'go away'.

"He was... nice." She said again, the last word sounding like an after thought, although she'd thought about what to say long before she said it.

"Great" Zuko said. Although his mind was screaming _'if she isn't going to go now, I WILL'_

He went to walk past her and move away.

"Wait" she commanded.

He wasn't going to listen but her hands had grabbed up at his shoulders and she had a strong grip.

"Let me..."

She didn't finish but the hands went quickly up to touch his face, he was almost a head taller than her but she pushed on his shoulders to lower his face to her stretched hands.

He tensed under her sweeping movements.

Her rough fingertips felt over his nose, the faint remaining scars of the pirate blast those months ago (ordered by Zhao who was probably still climbing over people to the top), and then his charred scarred flesh around his eye.

He grabbed her hand roughly, pushed her away and let go of it again, straightening himself and moving on briskly... feeling... exposed.

"You've been hurt" she called after him.

"We all have" he said bluntly under his breath, not knowing to whether she heard or not.


	3. Comfort

_**Don't own Avatar. Want to hear me sing it?**_

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She didn't let up... and he didn't like it.

Zuko ran his hands over his own flesh, feeling the unnatural contors of his face from where it was burnt.

He sat in a tent out in the wilderness - one place where he would get away from the others.

Of course he didn't fit in.

He'd been chasing them while they had been getting to know each other like one big happy family.

He turned on his side and spent another sleepless night of self pitying torment reminding himself that he didn't need them. He didn't need anyone.

(A/N Geez! Zuko is the definition of ANGST - am I right?)

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The next day of early morning firebending (the last discipline Aang had to learn) brought an audience. Well, it would be an audience if she could see.

Toph sat there, seemingly intent on the sounds of their movements and the vibrations under her, on the rock she was sitting.

Aang was controlling himself better, much better than the hot tempered Zuko was, gently guiding the flamesas she could sense.

"Woo! Go Aang!" Came the somewhat sarcastic cheergirl from Toph's far left side. Sokka was evidently waving his boomerang around as he cheered, either that or just trying to get a good shot on the firenation prince. He'd been doing that a lot lately.

Waiting for one traitorous movement and he would be all over him like a honeybee at a hive.

It was only natural the other two would get bored. For the time being, their part of the duty to train Aang was done and so was hers.

A flame went high and within another moment sound stopped and it seemed as though Sokka and Katara's faces dropped along with it.

"We're done" said Zuko. Walking out towards the river.

"You're done?" Katara started in that tone where suprise turned to anger very, very quickly. "What...!"

Zuko missed it though and so did Toph who followed him.

He soon noticed. "What do you want?"

"Aang's getting better" she started, following his footsteps. "Soon he'll outmatch you."

Zuko acted like these words didn't sting. "Good. He'll be able to defeat my father" he said, concealed pain in his voice.

Zuko stopped at the water's edge and spashed his face with the water, Toph sat beside him and kept talking.

"You miss your uncle don't you?"

She knew he wasn't going to answer that, but she liked the communication anyway. Even if it was one-sided. She tried a different tact.

"You're not ugly, you know?" She continued.

Prince Zu-Zu (A/N I couldn't resist!) turned around again, but this time hestitated before going back to Aang.

"Thanks" His voice was as bland as ever. For a second he wondered what it felt like to be blind. He decided to be bold, albiet 'nice'.

"Neither are you."

With that he left and went up to the clifface. Not looking back to see the blind girl with an oddly placed smile gracing her pretty young face.


	4. Zutara

**Toko fans - don't hate me for this chapter. It's major Zutara (one for you flamers to note - we don't hate you!).**

**I'll get this one thing straight - I'm not against this coupling... just not for more than one episode!**

**Aang wins out in the end. Fire and water doesn't mix - Zuko's inclination is towards destruction and Katara's toward new life.**

**But Toph telling Zuko how to win the girl (and of course being there after Katara makes the right choice - i.e. not him) just opens up another layer of sympathetic intimacy for them two.**

**Zuko only says one sentence in this drabble, set just after the last one.**

_**I'm still not owning Avatar.**_

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Sitting on the edge of the cliff face the young earthbender noted his arrival.

"You like her don't you?" If he heard her, he didn't act like it.

"Twinkle toe's girlfriend. That's what boomerang boy says, anyhow."

"I don't have time to _'like'_ anyone." He grimaced.

"Yeah. Neither do I." She said, hanging her feet off the cliff.

"It seems airy boy likes prissy girls" She said again, musing half to herself, but glad to have someone to talk to that wasn't Sokka.

Though, it was possible she was a little more sympathetic to how his Uncle Iroh had been now. He wasn't the world's greatest conversationalist.

She wasn't a prissy girl. Anything but. She thought back to all the training times, throwing boulders at him or flicking him in the head.

He didn't speak, but he didn't stalk away either. She knew why he stayed though.

Information.

"She likes attention" Toph went on "though not from me." She added with a grin. The type of attention Toph gave her was usually in the form of an argument.

"And she likes to go somewhere pretty, with clear waters" She said again, thinking of Katara's pick for a vacation spot.

"Somewhere new..."

Nobody else would give him information about their travellers like this, still undecided to whether he was an enemy or not. But he wasn't an enemy to her. He was a fellow outcast. Someone who knew about struggle. Someone who might need a leg up if he wanted something that 'big ears' had.

She didn't really like 'big ears' herself, not like _that_... but she liked helping the underdog and Zuko was a better fit of that description than anyone.

He didn't thank her but she was sure that he was going to leave.

"And... moody?"

She called him the moody prince on occassion. She was sure Iroh would have liked that name for his nephew.

"Be yourself with the Sugar Queen. She doesn't like the act. None of us do."

The boy smiled at the girl. She looked up and smiled back at him, before he whisked away again to change the course of destiny.

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**No no no! Whew, a good thing we know who really gets the girl (Katara). Kataang - woot! We still love ya Zutara fans!**


	5. Story list

**_Not updating as yet. But make sure you read in order. Get the timeline and tell me what you think:_**

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**Avatar Fics for All To Enjoy:**

**Kataang Fic**

1. Some Sokkaly Advice:

Cute five shot - easy to read - over 1000 hits in 5 days!

**Toph/Zuko Fics - in order of series**

1. Traitors and Enemies:

Tragic two shot - Zhao and Zuko fight over the Avatar - must read foreshadowing to other fics and most probably to the series!

2. Tea:

Quick one shot - Zuko drinks tea after Iroh's death with some unwanted company.

3. The Fun in Ticking Zuko Off: 

Toph and the gang get closer to Zuko who still isn't letting anybody in. With mild Zutara/Kataang. IN PROGRESS

4. About As Fluffy As TophXZuko Fics Can Get

ONESHOT - Set just after Zuko becomes firelord.

5. What Beauty Looks Like

Ditto.

6. Unspoken

Ditto again.


End file.
